Brazil bans pirate STBs

Brazil bans pirate STBs
By Chris Forrester

So-called ‘Dreamboxes’, the STBs that can illegally access scrambled pay-TV signals, have been banned in Brazil. The country’s Federal Justice Ministry is backing moves by the Brazilian Pay-TV Association to have the boxes outlawed.

The Ministry has specifically named one such device, the AZBox, as being to blame for losses of some US$53 million in lost revenues. There are an estimated 500,000-700,000 illegal boxes in use in Brazil. Other devices include the Luxusbox, Azamerica box and others, all of which are now deemed illegal.

The use of illegal boxes is not unique to Brazil. Paraguay, Uruguay and other nations have also grumbled about piracy.